Who can and cannot be a dual national, as well as the joys and frustrations accompanying that status. Includes ROC Passport and Military Conscription issues

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Hi! I've been wanting to get a Taiwanese citizenship for years but my parents always weren't able to go through the process because it's too expensive, so I guess I'll just have to wait until I earn my own money. It might've been easier when I was a minor, too. I'm turning nineteen in July.

I was not born in Taiwan, nor do I live there. I do, however, have Taiwanese relatives, and my mother has a Taiwan passport (with Chinese citizenship; I don't know how that works). I think I read once that I can get a Taiwanese citizenship by dual citizenship until 18 years old only, because Taiwan considers 19 to be an adult? I don't mind giving up my current citizenship, too, as I don't really care about it. So now I have to go through the naturalization process, right? Would it be easier to get a Taiwanese citizenship if I already have Taiwanese relatives?

I would also like to know the possible (estimated) cost of this, because all my family tells me is that it's expensive. I want to know how expensive, and why it becomes expensive?

Costs. $100 or so for the passport. $1000 plane ticket ride out here to enter on your Passport. $12,000? for the year that you have to live here to establish residency. Cheaper if you can live with relatives. More if you have to or want to rent your own place. $? A year of lost wages if you have a job. Are you a dude? You may have to join the army so there's another 18 months.

Hi, thank you for the response! do you mind if I ask some questions though?

kaikai34 wrote:$12,000? for the year that you have to live here to establish residency. Cheaper if you can live with relatives. More if you have to or want to rent your own place. $? A year of lost wages if you have a job.

Why only a year? And when you put it that way, it's actually not too expensive (I can get cheaper plane tickets as I live in Asia). I thought I would need to get a lawyer and everything, especially renouncing my current citizenship?

You have to first get a Taiwanese passport and enter on it. Then you have to live here for one year continuously or xxx days spread over 2 years before you can apply for your ID card. You don't need a lawyer. You don't need to renounce your current citizenship if one of your parents have a Taiwanese ID card. Visit or contact the nearest TECO office and ask them what the procedure is. The first step is getting your overseas passport. I don't remember it being very hard nor expensive.

milkeu wrote:Hi! I've been wanting to get a Taiwanese citizenship for years but my parents always weren't able to go through the process because it's too expensive, so I guess I'll just have to wait until I earn my own money. It might've been easier when I was a minor, too. I'm turning nineteen in July.

I was not born in Taiwan, nor do I live there. I do, however, have Taiwanese relatives, and my mother has a Taiwan passport (with Chinese citizenship; I don't know how that works). I think I read once that I can get a Taiwanese citizenship by dual citizenship until 18 years old only, because Taiwan considers 19 to be an adult? I don't mind giving up my current citizenship, too, as I don't really care about it. So now I have to go through the naturalization process, right? Would it be easier to get a Taiwanese citizenship if I already have Taiwanese relatives?

I would also like to know the possible (estimated) cost of this, because all my family tells me is that it's expensive. I want to know how expensive, and why it becomes expensive?

Thank you! I hope I provided enough information.

What are you current citizenships?What about your parents?Are your parents married?What year were you born?

kaikai34 wrote:You have to first get a Taiwanese passport and enter on it. Then you have to live here for one year continuously or xxx days spread over 2 years before you can apply for your ID card. You don't need a lawyer. You don't need to renounce your current citizenship if one of your parents have a Taiwanese ID card. Visit or contact the nearest TECO office and ask them what the procedure is. The first step is getting your overseas passport. I don't remember it being very hard nor expensive.

My aunt told me I can't get a Taiwanese passport without first getting a Taiwanese citizenship. :/ She does have a Taiwanese ID card but she's still a Chinese citizen with a Taiwanese passport (she can only stay visa-free in Taiwan for six months). I definitely will go to TECO soon enough though, I just wanted to know of some basic things in general so I won't be too clueless. ^^'

hsinhai78 wrote:What are you current citizenships?What about your parents?Are your parents married?What year were you born?

Your original post leaves out a lot of important details.

I would rather not mention my current citizenship. My mother is a Chinese citizen, as mentioned in the OP, but has a Taiwanese passport. My parents are married. I was born in 1997.

Your aunt is wrong. In Taiwan ID card = citizenship and so if you're born here, you get assigned an ID number and then you can get a passport. But in your case and with the thousands of Overseas Taiwanese, you must first apply for a passport and then the ID card. If your mom has an ID and a Taiwanese passport, then she doesn't need a visa and can stay as long as she wants. I'm guessing that she has a Taiwanese passport but maybe not the ID card and so she needs a visa to enter? The overseas passport does not have an ID number in it while a Taiwanese citizen's passport does.Does her ID look like this?

kaikai34 wrote:Your aunt is wrong. In Taiwan ID card = citizenship and so if you're born here, you get assigned an ID number and then you can get a passport. But in your case and with the thousands of Overseas Taiwanese, you must first apply for a passport and then the ID card. If your mom has an ID and a Taiwanese passport, then she doesn't need a visa and can stay as long as she wants. I'm guessing that she has a Taiwanese passport but maybe not the ID card and so she needs a visa to enter? The overseas passport does not have an ID number in it while a Taiwanese citizen's passport does.Does her ID look like this?

Ahh, no, hers is kind of yellow in color. I don't really care about my current citizenship though, so I don't mind losing it. I'm not sure if that would be the one that would be expensive though, and looking into the requirements in the TECO website it seems pretty simple and I don't know what "long and complicated" process everyone's telling me.

Does your father have citizenship? You need to have at least one parent with the ID card to be able to apply for (dual) citizenship and there's no need to give up your current mysterious citizenship. If you don't have a parent then you will have to go the naturalization route giving up your current citizenship but that process is completely different. You would not get a Taiwanese passport first and you have to live in Taiwan for something like 5 or 6 years before you can become a citizen. Read this thread. http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=19697Applying as an overseas Taiwanese seems to me a much easier route.

kaikai34 wrote:Your aunt is wrong. In Taiwan ID card = citizenship and so if you're born here, you get assigned an ID number and then you can get a passport. But in your case and with the thousands of Overseas Taiwanese, you must first apply for a passport and then the ID card. If your mom has an ID and a Taiwanese passport, then she doesn't need a visa and can stay as long as she wants. I'm guessing that she has a Taiwanese passport but maybe not the ID card and so she needs a visa to enter? The overseas passport does not have an ID number in it while a Taiwanese citizen's passport does.Does her ID look like this?

Ahh, no, hers is kind of yellow in color. I don't really care about my current citizenship though, so I don't mind losing it. I'm not sure if that would be the one that would be expensive though, and looking into the requirements in the TECO website it seems pretty simple and I don't know what "long and complicated" process everyone's telling me.

Thank you very much for your help! ^^

You have some good advise already. My wife and I are dual citizen (US and Taiwan). We went to TECO and got our 2 kids their Taiwan passports. It is very simple. Just one visit, and we showed them our own passports and their relationship with us. Paid something like $35 us dollars for each. A week or so later, they got their passports, and an 'Entry permit' sticker. Both valid for 10 years. This is the process if you are 20 years and younger.

I am not sure if my ABC kids would want to stay in Taiwan. We did this for them just so they have an option if they do want to . My wife and I do plan to come back to Taiwan after we retire.

Don't think too hard about it. Give your local TECO a call and ask about your own specific situation. They are very friendly and eager to assist Taiwanese. If you have never dealt with Taiwanese official workers, your will be very pleasantly surprised.

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